Special Education in Finland is not so “special” according to an American teacher who spent time teaching in a Finnish school. About half of the students in Finland’s public school system receive some form of special education before the age of 16. Special Education being so common in the classroom is very beneficial because students and teachers are used to it, they do not see it as something just for children with needs. This makes more students who need help unopposed to it because they see many of their classmates receiving help. Special Education in Finland is also more flexible. Instead of a child with needs being separated from the class the special education teacher spends a certain amount of time in each class each week. They circulate the class helping all of the children not just those with specific learning needs. A special Education teacher in Finland is a very well trained professional. In the United States many special ed teachers are paraprofessionals with no formal teaching education and half the pay of a normal classroom teacher, this makes it difficult for a the teacher and paraprofessional to “see eye to eye”. The teacher said that when she used to teach in Massachusetts she only had a paraprofessional as an assistant and it was much more difficult for both her and the students who needed assistance. In this article the teacher said that they would meet and collaborate with the special education teacher on a weekly basis and discuss students needs. The teacher and special education teacher would help plan students Individualized Learning Plans (IEPs) Instead of relying solely on therapists outside the classroom. This made the plans more individualized for the students in need. There is also remedial teaching where teachers are paid outside of the classroom to help struggling students catch up, this is the job of a private tutor in the United States. Special education in Finland assesses the students and teachers needs in many helpful ways. (Taught By Finland, 2013).
I think that the United States should consider using some of the Special Education tactics this Finnish teacher talks about. This teacher has worked in both the U. S. and Finland and they claimed these strategies were much different but worked very well. I personally think it would be beneficial to have a well-trained professional work with special needs children, not a paraprofessional. I also think students and teachers would benefit from having a well-trained professional working inside the classroom helping students. Even though this sounds like an assistant teacher I think it would be different because the teachers focus would be on those who need extra help, not on what the teacher needs assistance with. I also think that the United States needs to broaden its scope of who needs special education. In Finland about half of the students receive specialized education and that is not because students there are necessarily more troubled or need more help than here. Finland’s education system works very well and maybe we should be using some of their “not so special” special education tactics.
Scholarly/ Journal Article
Source:
J. Honkasilta, E. Sandberg, V. Närhi, & M. jahnukainen. (2014). ADHD in the Context of Finnish Basic Education. Emotional and Behavioral Dfficulties: University of Helsinki, Finland.
Like In the United States, and many other countries, the diagnosis for children suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is growing. The number of children placed in special education in Finland increased from .2% to 1.2% from 1987 to 2007. The factors make it difficult to know if there are more cases of ADHD and other learning disabilities, or if it is just being detected more frequently. The way that this disorder is handled in Finland is very different from in the United States. The article says "Compared to other western countries, medication for ADHD has been scarcely used in Finland” and it has to be medically diagnosed for medication to be prescribed. In the United States a child has to be diagnosed with a disorder or disability to receive special education. In Finland the child just has to behave in a way that shows they need extra help. This could also explain why so many more cases of ADHD are being diagnosed in the U.S., so that children can get the help they need to receive. In Finland if a child expresses difficulty in learning they will meet with a team called a Welfare Group. This team include the classroom teacher, a special education teacher, the school psychologist, often a physician, the parents AND the student. This team evaluates the needs of the child and the decision is made at the education level, not by a doctor’s diagnosis. So all students in need of help in Finland receive the help they need even if they do not have an ADHD or other learning disability diagnosis. In the end it is still good for children with learning disabilities to be diagnosed so that there is an explanation for their actions.(J. Honkasilta, E. Sandberg, V. Närhi, & M. jahnukainen, 2014).
Children in America should be treated the way they are treated in Finland. Any child needing special education, support or help with learning should receive it no matter what. I thought it was astounding how Finland puts a child’s education before anything else. When I child needs special ed they meet with a team, but they are included in the decision-making. The decision made about this child is not made on a medial bases but on a learning basis and it is decided based on what the teacher thinks not what the doctor thinks. This is very important because the doctor is not in the classroom with the student seeing how they act and the difficulty they may be having learning. The teacher knows what a child needs for help, with or without a diagnosis and the child receives that help. This is one of the things that Finland has a big step up on compared to the United States. We should learn from this and focus more on the individual students’ needs to help them be successful.
Points of View Database
Source:
Christel Sundqvist, Désirée von Ahlefeld Nisser, & Kristina Ström. (2014). Consultation in special needs education in Sweden and Finland: a comparative approach. School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
In a comparison of Finland and Sweden’s special education systems, Finland’s still stood out. The Finnish board of Education decided to rewrite the laws emphasizing a child’s right to special education if needed. In Finland there are three levels of education, general support, enhanced support and special support. At the first level it is the regular classroom teacher’s responsibility that the children are learning what they need. At the enhanced support level a part time special education teacher takes a greater role in how a child is learning, the child also has individual counseling and support groups. The teachers participate in co teaching and consultations. In the level of special support a child is given an individualized learning plan and the ability to be placed in a full or part time special group separate from the class, along with counseling and teacher consultation. Sweden’s special education plan was much less clear-cut. It claimed that’s students who need help would be provided it and given special learning plans. There is almost no school documentation or laws found that explain how they carry out special education. What is written leaves the decisions regarding a child’s welfare up to the individual school. One method that was found to be used both in Sweden and Finland was the use of a professional consultant. This is when a psychologist or special education teacher teaches a classroom teacher how to educate a child with needs. Many schools are relying more heavily on this consultant teaching so there is less need for special education teachers to always be present in the classroom.(Christel Sundqvist, Désirée von Ahlefeld Nisser, & Kristina Ström, 2014).
With no comparison to the United States form of Special education it is hard to know what is similar and what is different. What is very clear is how well set up the Finnish program is. I have no evidence but I believe that The United States system is probably much more like Sweden’s, meaning it is up to the individual school on how and why a child receives special education. In Finland it s a School Board law that any child needing help will receive it including specific guidelines on how much each student should receive. I think many countries, including the U.S. and Sweden could benefit from this model. I am not as convinced on the idea of a professional consultant. I do agree that every teacher should have some knowledge of how to deal with disabled students but they should not have full responsibility. A teacher has a large class and should not be focusing all of their time and effort on one student because he or she has trouble learning. This would take away from the education of the other students. Teaching teachers how to work with special needs students would also decrease the need for special education teachers. I think that those students with special needs deserve to have someone with the specialized knowledge to help them.
The 2006 PISA test acclimates the Special Education program in Finland. They claim it is a big reason why Finnish students did so well on the PISA overall. Students in Finland receive multi-professional help and the teachers and parents are often in collaboration. Children are first assessed with a developmental test at age 5 by a doctor or clinic. Then they are screened at age 6 for possible learning disabilities and any information found from a pre-school teacher is passed on to the comprehensive (primary) school teachers. Children who appear to have learning setbacks in their 6-year-old screening enter a process as soon as they reach primary school. First they receive remedial teaching, or extra outside of the classroom help form a normal classroom teacher. If this does not result in any improvement then a special education teacher will use a less intense version of special education temporarily or infrequently until the child no longer needs help. If the child continues to need special education long term then the special education teacher has a much larger involvement in the child’s schooling. If the child’s problems are severe they can be transferred to a specialized program or even a special needs school. In 2008 about 8% of students were transferred to special education programs. There are also a lot of integrated classrooms in Finnish schools where children with disabilities or in special education programs are put into normal classrooms. The children in integrated classrooms are given individualized learning plans. (The Finnish PISA 2006 pages, 2006).
It is interesting to see how Finnish special education functions in a classroom and school system. It is definitely a good idea for connecting schools, like the preschool and primary school, to communicate what they already know about individual students’ needs. School’s in the United States are much less connected like this but it could help struggling students be placed where they need to be. I also think the approach of having multiple steps is very useful. Instead of giving every special needs student the same program they make sure each student gets what they need and for as long as they need, sometimes only temporarily. Even thought there is specialized learning plans in the U. S. children often have to have a diagnosed learning disability to receive special treatment, they need to be more than just struggling. Finland also screens children for learning disabilities at a young age. I think this is very important because then problems do not go undetected, they can be found and treated early. Finnish classrooms have a well thought out and effective special education system, which is apparent by the results of the PISA score.
Finland's Education system has come out on top or nearly on top in the PISA results in recent years, they were only beat in math by South Korea. This is in part because of Finland’s support system for students. Finnish classrooms are set up with a teacher and a second specialized teacher to help those who struggle. Their philosophy is that everyone has something to contribute even those who have difficulty learning. All Finnish children are kept together in classrooms they are not separated or put into advanced or not advanced levels so everyone is expected to receive the same level of education. Another important factor of Finnish schooling is that children do not have to transition between schools or teachers. They start regular(comprehensive) education at age 7 and continue to stay in that school past age 13. They do not have to go through a potentially disruptive change in schools. The pupils also stay with the same teacher for many years. This is beneficial because it helps each student and teacher bond. The teacher will know a students specific needs and difficulties so they can help them learn. The environment of a school in Finland is very relaxed and parents have a large involvement in their student’s education. Because a child’s parents are involved, their teacher knows them well and they do not have to go through any difficult school transitions they are more likely to do well. Struggling students are spotted early and given the help and special education they need immediately.(“Why do Finland’s schools get the best results?,” 2010).
This school model is much different than what we do in the United States. I think there are benefits and downfalls to the idea of not changing schools or teachers over a long period of time. Some benefits would be that a teacher and student create a bond and the teacher knows how to work with a specific students. But I also think it is important for students to learn from different teachers that have different experience and knowledge. Also everyone has had that one teacher they do not get along with, what if they were stuck with that teacher for 5 years? Not changing school’s could also become boring, a change of environment could be good and not necessarily disruptive. I think the idea of a child not starting their comprehensive education until the age of 7 is great because it gives a child more time to play and be imaginative which could enhance their learning in the future. Parents in the U.S. do need to get more involved in their child’s education, more involved parents support their child in learning better. In the area of special education I do think that staying with the same teacher and school is very beneficial, and parent involvement is key. A child with a learning disability needs a lot of extra support, time and effort so it is important that that is not overlooked.
Overall Reaction
I learned many interesting things about how the special education system works in Finland. It is a very well designed and well-established process. The main goals of this system definitely have the needs of each individual child in mind, not the school as a whole. Every article I find on the special education system in Finland had something positive to say about it and that is astounding. Parents, teachers and children are all benefitting from it and that is something other countries should take into consideration. The special education system is broken down into pieces that help each student based on their needs. The student gets to be involved in his or her own assessment and the classroom teacher gets to decide the specialized learning plan. If the teacher gets to decide the learning plan then it would be better suited to the student because unlike the physician or psychologist, the teacher sees what each student needs. One of the most important factors of the Finnish special education system is that any student who shows signs of needing help receives it. He or she does not need any kind of disability diagnoses to get extra help. To me this is amazing and a beak through in education reform. The idea that half of Finnish students receive some form of special education before they graduate is also very innovative. Special education is not nearly as prevalent here, it is something for the “different” or “special” kids. Finland has the highest PISA scores and many of its students receive special education proving it is for anyone who needs help not just those who are “different”. Special education and education in general is something that Finland does right.
Rhode Island Schools could benefit from adopting Finland’s special education system, along with other parts of their education system. Finland’s special education system is very student focused. The special education teachers are well trained in their field. About half of all students receive special education help. Finland’s special education plan was put in place by school board law, if the state of Rhode Island were to instill these same kinds of laws children could be much more successful. This does not just to apply to children with special needs but all of the students of Rhode Island could benefit. As of right now the RIDE Strategic plan says very little about special education reforms.
Author: Meagan Coon
Reputable Website/Blog
Source: American Teacher at a Finnish School. (2013, October 27). What’s So Special About Special Education in Finland? Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.taughtbyfinland.com/1/post/2013/10/special-education-in-finland.html
Special Education in Finland is not so “special” according to an American teacher who spent time teaching in a Finnish school. About half of the students in Finland’s public school system receive some form of special education before the age of 16. Special Education being so common in the classroom is very beneficial because students and teachers are used to it, they do not see it as something just for children with needs. This makes more students who need help unopposed to it because they see many of their classmates receiving help. Special Education in Finland is also more flexible. Instead of a child with needs being separated from the class the special education teacher spends a certain amount of time in each class each week. They circulate the class helping all of the children not just those with specific learning needs. A special Education teacher in Finland is a very well trained professional. In the United States many special ed teachers are paraprofessionals with no formal teaching education and half the pay of a normal classroom teacher, this makes it difficult for a the teacher and paraprofessional to “see eye to eye”. The teacher said that when she used to teach in Massachusetts she only had a paraprofessional as an assistant and it was much more difficult for both her and the students who needed assistance. In this article the teacher said that they would meet and collaborate with the special education teacher on a weekly basis and discuss students needs. The teacher and special education teacher would help plan students Individualized Learning Plans (IEPs) Instead of relying solely on therapists outside the classroom. This made the plans more individualized for the students in need. There is also remedial teaching where teachers are paid outside of the classroom to help struggling students catch up, this is the job of a private tutor in the United States. Special education in Finland assesses the students and teachers needs in many helpful ways. (Taught By Finland, 2013).
I think that the United States should consider using some of the Special Education tactics this Finnish teacher talks about. This teacher has worked in both the U. S. and Finland and they claimed these strategies were much different but worked very well. I personally think it would be beneficial to have a well-trained professional work with special needs children, not a paraprofessional. I also think students and teachers would benefit from having a well-trained professional working inside the classroom helping students. Even though this sounds like an assistant teacher I think it would be different because the teachers focus would be on those who need extra help, not on what the teacher needs assistance with. I also think that the United States needs to broaden its scope of who needs special education. In Finland about half of the students receive specialized education and that is not because students there are necessarily more troubled or need more help than here. Finland’s education system works very well and maybe we should be using some of their “not so special” special education tactics.
Scholarly/ Journal Article
Source:
J. Honkasilta, E. Sandberg, V. Närhi, & M. jahnukainen. (2014). ADHD in the Context of Finnish Basic Education. Emotional and Behavioral Dfficulties: University of Helsinki, Finland.
Like In the United States, and many other countries, the diagnosis for children suffering from ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is growing. The number of children placed in special education in Finland increased from .2% to 1.2% from 1987 to 2007. The factors make it difficult to know if there are more cases of ADHD and other learning disabilities, or if it is just being detected more frequently. The way that this disorder is handled in Finland is very different from in the United States. The article says "Compared to other western countries, medication for ADHD has been scarcely used in Finland” and it has to be medically diagnosed for medication to be prescribed. In the United States a child has to be diagnosed with a disorder or disability to receive special education. In Finland the child just has to behave in a way that shows they need extra help. This could also explain why so many more cases of ADHD are being diagnosed in the U.S., so that children can get the help they need to receive. In Finland if a child expresses difficulty in learning they will meet with a team called a Welfare Group. This team include the classroom teacher, a special education teacher, the school psychologist, often a physician, the parents AND the student. This team evaluates the needs of the child and the decision is made at the education level, not by a doctor’s diagnosis. So all students in need of help in Finland receive the help they need even if they do not have an ADHD or other learning disability diagnosis. In the end it is still good for children with learning disabilities to be diagnosed so that there is an explanation for their actions.(J. Honkasilta, E. Sandberg, V. Närhi, & M. jahnukainen, 2014).
Children in America should be treated the way they are treated in Finland. Any child needing special education, support or help with learning should receive it no matter what. I thought it was astounding how Finland puts a child’s education before anything else. When I child needs special ed they meet with a team, but they are included in the decision-making. The decision made about this child is not made on a medial bases but on a learning basis and it is decided based on what the teacher thinks not what the doctor thinks. This is very important because the doctor is not in the classroom with the student seeing how they act and the difficulty they may be having learning. The teacher knows what a child needs for help, with or without a diagnosis and the child receives that help. This is one of the things that Finland has a big step up on compared to the United States. We should learn from this and focus more on the individual students’ needs to help them be successful.
Points of View Database
Source:
Christel Sundqvist, Désirée von Ahlefeld Nisser, & Kristina Ström. (2014). Consultation in special needs education in Sweden and Finland: a comparative approach. School of Education, Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
In a comparison of Finland and Sweden’s special education systems, Finland’s still stood out. The Finnish board of Education decided to rewrite the laws emphasizing a child’s right to special education if needed. In Finland there are three levels of education, general support, enhanced support and special support. At the first level it is the regular classroom teacher’s responsibility that the children are learning what they need. At the enhanced support level a part time special education teacher takes a greater role in how a child is learning, the child also has individual counseling and support groups. The teachers participate in co teaching and consultations. In the level of special support a child is given an individualized learning plan and the ability to be placed in a full or part time special group separate from the class, along with counseling and teacher consultation. Sweden’s special education plan was much less clear-cut. It claimed that’s students who need help would be provided it and given special learning plans. There is almost no school documentation or laws found that explain how they carry out special education. What is written leaves the decisions regarding a child’s welfare up to the individual school. One method that was found to be used both in Sweden and Finland was the use of a professional consultant. This is when a psychologist or special education teacher teaches a classroom teacher how to educate a child with needs. Many schools are relying more heavily on this consultant teaching so there is less need for special education teachers to always be present in the classroom.(Christel Sundqvist, Désirée von Ahlefeld Nisser, & Kristina Ström, 2014).
With no comparison to the United States form of Special education it is hard to know what is similar and what is different. What is very clear is how well set up the Finnish program is. I have no evidence but I believe that The United States system is probably much more like Sweden’s, meaning it is up to the individual school on how and why a child receives special education. In Finland it s a School Board law that any child needing help will receive it including specific guidelines on how much each student should receive. I think many countries, including the U.S. and Sweden could benefit from this model. I am not as convinced on the idea of a professional consultant. I do agree that every teacher should have some knowledge of how to deal with disabled students but they should not have full responsibility. A teacher has a large class and should not be focusing all of their time and effort on one student because he or she has trouble learning. This would take away from the education of the other students. Teaching teachers how to work with special needs students would also decrease the need for special education teachers. I think that those students with special needs deserve to have someone with the specialized knowledge to help them.
Editorial
Source:
The Finnish PISA 2006 pages. (2006). Special Education. PISA Programme for International Student Assessment, University of Helsinki. Retrieved from http://www.pisa2006.helsinki.fi/education_in_Finland/education_system/Special_education.htm
The 2006 PISA test acclimates the Special Education program in Finland. They claim it is a big reason why Finnish students did so well on the PISA overall. Students in Finland receive multi-professional help and the teachers and parents are often in collaboration. Children are first assessed with a developmental test at age 5 by a doctor or clinic. Then they are screened at age 6 for possible learning disabilities and any information found from a pre-school teacher is passed on to the comprehensive (primary) school teachers. Children who appear to have learning setbacks in their 6-year-old screening enter a process as soon as they reach primary school. First they receive remedial teaching, or extra outside of the classroom help form a normal classroom teacher. If this does not result in any improvement then a special education teacher will use a less intense version of special education temporarily or infrequently until the child no longer needs help. If the child continues to need special education long term then the special education teacher has a much larger involvement in the child’s schooling. If the child’s problems are severe they can be transferred to a specialized program or even a special needs school. In 2008 about 8% of students were transferred to special education programs. There are also a lot of integrated classrooms in Finnish schools where children with disabilities or in special education programs are put into normal classrooms. The children in integrated classrooms are given individualized learning plans. (The Finnish PISA 2006 pages, 2006).
It is interesting to see how Finnish special education functions in a classroom and school system. It is definitely a good idea for connecting schools, like the preschool and primary school, to communicate what they already know about individual students’ needs. School’s in the United States are much less connected like this but it could help struggling students be placed where they need to be. I also think the approach of having multiple steps is very useful. Instead of giving every special needs student the same program they make sure each student gets what they need and for as long as they need, sometimes only temporarily. Even thought there is specialized learning plans in the U. S. children often have to have a diagnosed learning disability to receive special treatment, they need to be more than just struggling. Finland also screens children for learning disabilities at a young age. I think this is very important because then problems do not go undetected, they can be found and treated early. Finnish classrooms have a well thought out and effective special education system, which is apparent by the results of the PISA score.
Analysis News Article
Source:
Why do Finland’s schools get the best results? (2010, April 7). BBC. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8601207.stm
Finland's Education system has come out on top or nearly on top in the PISA results in recent years, they were only beat in math by South Korea. This is in part because of Finland’s support system for students. Finnish classrooms are set up with a teacher and a second specialized teacher to help those who struggle. Their philosophy is that everyone has something to contribute even those who have difficulty learning. All Finnish children are kept together in classrooms they are not separated or put into advanced or not advanced levels so everyone is expected to receive the same level of education. Another important factor of Finnish schooling is that children do not have to transition between schools or teachers. They start regular(comprehensive) education at age 7 and continue to stay in that school past age 13. They do not have to go through a potentially disruptive change in schools. The pupils also stay with the same teacher for many years. This is beneficial because it helps each student and teacher bond. The teacher will know a students specific needs and difficulties so they can help them learn. The environment of a school in Finland is very relaxed and parents have a large involvement in their student’s education. Because a child’s parents are involved, their teacher knows them well and they do not have to go through any difficult school transitions they are more likely to do well. Struggling students are spotted early and given the help and special education they need immediately.(“Why do Finland’s schools get the best results?,” 2010).
This school model is much different than what we do in the United States. I think there are benefits and downfalls to the idea of not changing schools or teachers over a long period of time. Some benefits would be that a teacher and student create a bond and the teacher knows how to work with a specific students. But I also think it is important for students to learn from different teachers that have different experience and knowledge. Also everyone has had that one teacher they do not get along with, what if they were stuck with that teacher for 5 years? Not changing school’s could also become boring, a change of environment could be good and not necessarily disruptive. I think the idea of a child not starting their comprehensive education until the age of 7 is great because it gives a child more time to play and be imaginative which could enhance their learning in the future. Parents in the U.S. do need to get more involved in their child’s education, more involved parents support their child in learning better. In the area of special education I do think that staying with the same teacher and school is very beneficial, and parent involvement is key. A child with a learning disability needs a lot of extra support, time and effort so it is important that that is not overlooked.
Overall Reaction
I learned many interesting things about how the special education system works in Finland. It is a very well designed and well-established process. The main goals of this system definitely have the needs of each individual child in mind, not the school as a whole. Every article I find on the special education system in Finland had something positive to say about it and that is astounding. Parents, teachers and children are all benefitting from it and that is something other countries should take into consideration. The special education system is broken down into pieces that help each student based on their needs. The student gets to be involved in his or her own assessment and the classroom teacher gets to decide the specialized learning plan. If the teacher gets to decide the learning plan then it would be better suited to the student because unlike the physician or psychologist, the teacher sees what each student needs. One of the most important factors of the Finnish special education system is that any student who shows signs of needing help receives it. He or she does not need any kind of disability diagnoses to get extra help. To me this is amazing and a beak through in education reform. The idea that half of Finnish students receive some form of special education before they graduate is also very innovative. Special education is not nearly as prevalent here, it is something for the “different” or “special” kids. Finland has the highest PISA scores and many of its students receive special education proving it is for anyone who needs help not just those who are “different”. Special education and education in general is something that Finland does right.
Rhode Island Schools could benefit from adopting Finland’s special education system, along with other parts of their education system. Finland’s special education system is very student focused. The special education teachers are well trained in their field. About half of all students receive special education help. Finland’s special education plan was put in place by school board law, if the state of Rhode Island were to instill these same kinds of laws children could be much more successful. This does not just to apply to children with special needs but all of the students of Rhode Island could benefit. As of right now the RIDE Strategic plan says very little about special education reforms.